How to Boost Productivity During a Labor Shortage

Many businesses are having trouble keeping their workplaces fully staffed because of the current labor shortage. This can be stressful for managers. Because even when the number of workers available decreases, the amount of work that needs to be done remains the same, and the remaining workload can be overwhelming for teams. 

There are steps you can take to cope with staffing issues. For example, you can make efforts to retain quality employees and bring in temporary staff and short-term hires to manage workloads. To strategize the best path forward, connect with an employment expert at Quality Placement Authority.

Retain Top Staff Members

When you have open positions on your team, it can be tempting to focus on filling the available posts and forget to celebrate the successes of current team members. But maintaining the staff you have will mean less hiring in the future. Take steps now to avoid more staff members giving notice. 

Some top retention strategies include the following:

  • Allowing flexible schedules
  • Focus on quality of work rather than the timeclock
  • Reduce any activities that do not value employee time
  • Support a work-life balance
  • Share company goals and highlights
  • Create positive teams
  • Support employee engagement

Because valuing employee time is an important piece of the employee retention, managers need to be sure they are not overworking employees, even if they are having difficulties staying fully staffed. High workloads during a labor shortage can be alleviated by temporary hires.

Full-time employees are not always required in order to meet your productivity goals. If you are not sure how temp staff would help, ask your employees. Make them part of the decision making process. For instance, you can ask employees to track their time and pinpoint activities they feel are pulling them away from key projects. Then, a short-term hire can be brought in to complete the time-consuming task until your organization is able to grow staff on a permanent basis.

Where to Find Short-Term Hires

If you have never hired temporary staff, you may be unsure how to start. In reality, there are a few different options. You can contact former interns or employees who left to do contract work and ask if they would like to take on some billable hours. Or, you can connect with a staffing firm that has pre-screened talented candidates ready to work. 

The labor shortage has been impacting a wide range of industries, and employment professionals have been balancing the needs of employees and employers throughout economic cycles. Employment experts will help you with your recruitment goals and guide you through long-term hiring plans. This includes matching you with candidates that can support you in meeting or exceeding your productivity goals during a labor shortage. 

Have you been struggling to fill positions during the current labor shortage? Lean on recruitment professionals. Quality Placement Authority is a full-service staffing and recruiting firm with nationwide service capabilities. Let our experts help you find the best candidate for your business. Connect with Quality Placement Authority today.